Category Archives: Campaign Finance

In a ruling with controversial repercussions on the way we fund elections, and what constitutes as free speech, heated debated still rages over the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. FEC on the cusp of its five-year anniversary.

The Court held in Citizens United that political spending is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment, and that the government cannot restrict corporations, non-profits or labor unions from spending money or formally endorsing or denouncing a political campaign or candidate. Consequentially, the decision increased the ability of corporations to translate their economic might into political power with million dollar ad buys to influence elections. Continue reading →

New poll shows small businesses believe our current campaign finance system puts large corporations at a competitive advantage; entrepreneurs support significant reforms to level the playing field between small employers and big business.

Small business owners have a lot on their plates. From keeping customers happy to making payroll each week, they have more than enough concerns to keep them busy. Unfortunately, as our electoral system increasingly falls under the influence of big money, small business owners have yet another issue to worry about — their growing disenfranchisement from the electoral process. Continue reading →

Featured Article

When John Arensmeyer owned a high-tech company, he didn't feel that the organizations that lobbied on behalf of small business really represented him — or many other business owners.

""They put forth a monolithic view of what small business wants," says Arensmeyer. "I felt they were overly partisan and overly ideological and didn't really look pragmatically at what small businesses need. So I felt there was an opportunity and a need for a new voice."